Chrysanthemums are next to roses in popularity and have been in cultivation for more than 2,500 years. There are thousands of varieties now in cultivation in different countries and more than 3,000 varieties are being grown in English gardens alone.
Classification
Chrysanthemum varieties are classified into seven main groups, namely, the Incurved (like a perfect ball), Reflexed (with drooped florets), Incurving (in which the petals incurve loosely and irregularly), Anemone (having single petals and a tubular central disc), Pompon (with very small-sized flowers), Singles (having a central disc and five petals or ray florets), Miscellaneous like Spider (with a hook at the tip of petals), Spoon (with a spoon-like tip of petals), Koreans (having small single or double flowers with a visible central disc) and Rayonnantes (having quilled petals).
Varieties
There are numerous varieties of chrysanthemum, the flowers of which may be white, cream, yellow, red, terracotta, bronze, maroon, lilac, mauve, pink or purple. A few commonly grown varieties are Snowball (white, incurved), Sonar Bangla (cream, incurved), Rose Bowl (deep rose-pink, incurved), Alfred Simpson (crimson-red, bronze reverse incurved), Pink Cloud (pink, incurved), Ajina Purple (rose –purple, incurving), Bronze Turner (bronze, incurving), Coronation Pink (pale pink, reflexed), Duke of Kent (white, reflexed), Mahatma Gandhi (mauve, tubular, reflexed), Kasturba Gandhi (white, tubular, reflexed) and Valiant (large, white, reflexed). A few other important varieties include tubular, Kikubiori (large, yellow, incurved), Angel Bell (large, soft, pink, incurved), Shen Meigetsu (yellow, incurved), Grape Bowl (wine-red, incurving), Tokyo (white, spider), Rupasi Bangla (white, spider, dwarf), Flirt (deep maroon, double Korean type), Birbal Sahani (white, globular, pompom), Mountaineer (large, yellow, incurved), and William Turner (white, incurved).
Cultivation
During early February, the plants are beheaded after the flowering is over by cutting the stem about 15-25 cm above the soil. After some time when new suckers appear at the base of the stool, these are separated and planted in small 10cm pots. Each sucker has its own root. The potting mixture consists of one part each of sand, soil and leaf mould and a trace of wood ashes
The second potting is done at the end of April and the suckers are transferred to a bigger pot of 15cm which is filled with a richer soil mixture containing one part sand, one part soil, two parts leaf-mould, a quarter part wood ashes and one tablespoonful of bonemeal.
The third and final potting is done in August when the plants are shifted to 25-30 cm pots. The potting mixture consists of one part sand, one part soil, two parts leaf-mould, two parts cowdung manure, a quarter part each of small pieces of wood charcoal and wood ashes and two tablespoonfuls of bonemeal. During May and June, the young plants must be protected from strong sunshine and from heavy rain during the rainy season.
Stopping and disbudding
By late May or early June, the young plants are pinched (stopped) by removing the tip of the main stem at a time when the young lateral shoots or "breaks" are just appearing in the leaf axils. Stopping will induce lateral growths to develop from the leaf axils. The number of main stems one would like to keep can now be decided upon. Generally one, three or six stems are retained for obtaining exhibition blooms. At the end of each stem there develops the first crown bud which is allowed to develop and the lateral growths arising in the leaf axils are disbudded or removed. The date of blooming depends mainly upon the time of starting the suckers or cuttings and dates of stopping and disbudding. The plants will need staking during October.
Manures and fertilisers
Ammonium sulphate, about 30-35g can be mixed in two gallons of water and a pint of the mixture applied to each plant during July-August. Soon after the appearance of flower buds, sulphate of potash may be applied in the same way as ammonium sulphate. About one tablespoonful of superphosphate should be mixed in the soil at the time of final potting. Nitrogen promotes healthy vegetative growth, while potash helps in developing strong and stout stems and flowers and phosphorus produces a good root growth. Liquid manure is prepared by dissolving ½ kg of fresh cowdung in five gallons of water and after four or five days when it has fermented, it is diluted with water to a very light tea colour. Liquid manure can be applied once a week after the appearance of flower buds till the flowers are half open.
Watering
The young plants require frequent watering in summer but less during the rains. Over-watering should be avoided.
Pests and diseases
The Chafer bettle grubs appear usually in July and August at the base of the pot and cause the wilting of plants. These grubs should be removed by hand and destroyed. It is also useful to mix a little 5 per cent BHC and DDT dust mixture in the soil. The other insect pest is the aphid which appears in the cold months and sucks the sap from the leaves. Spraying Malathion, 2ml in one litre of water, is effective in controlling aphids.
Among diseases, wilt and powdery mildew are important. The wilted plants should be uprooted and burnt as soon as they appear. To control powdery mildew, the white mould on leaves, dusting with sulphur is useful.
Ag.
Technologies
(Horticulture)
